What Would You Say?
by PapayaK
Summary: Harold sometimes wondered what Nathan would say if he could see him now. One shot - Complete


Harold sometimes wondered what Nathan would say if he could see him now.

Nathan had tried so hard to convince him to save the irrelevant list…

Nathan had tried to save them.

Alone.

Harold had seen some of the injuries Nathan had sustained for his efforts. He was sure there had been some he hadn't seen. Nathan had no real self-defense capabilities beyond that one course he'd taken in college… to impress a girl. Harold had never seen him shoot a gun or use any kind of weapon...Harold wondered if Nathan had thought about enlisting outside help. And if he had, how would he have gone about it?

But Harold suspected Nathan would not have reached out to anyone who _was_ capable – who _had_ the necessary skills to intervene. They had generally tried to avoid those kinds of people: trained killers - assassins. They considering them violent and dangerous - the very type of people the machine was supposed to stop.

He was amazed Nathan had considered himself capable of intervening. But then, maybe he shouldn't have been. It was so like Nathan – to run in and help without thought for himself…

oOo

Now it was Harold's turn.

Once he'd decided to help the Numbers, there were three things that had quickly convinced him to seek out a partner:

His own injuries – if he'd had any real fighting abilities before the ferry bombing, (which he hadn't) they would certainly be compromised now. At the time he'd begun working with the irrelevant list, he'd barely been able to walk.

Secondly, he'd quickly come to understand just exactly what they were up against- the level of difficulty involved in trying to save - or stop - some of these people.

Thirdly, his experiences with the machine had given him some in-depth experience in working with something (someone) more powerful – more frightening – and _far more dangerous_ than himself.

So he'd sought out a suitable partner.

At first he'd planned on simply putting his formidable financial resources to use. He'd hire a mercenary and hope that the amount of money he paid would demand a certain loyalty.

That hadn't worked out very well for him. Or for Mr. Dillinger. Yet another death Harold would forever have on his conscience. If only the man had followed orders without question…

oOo

Flash forward a few years and he really did wonder what Nathan would say about the little band that had formed around the irrelevant list - around him: A dirty cop, three assassins, and a dog.

It sounded like the punchline of a joke, and Harold was pretty sure Nathan would have come up with that joke.

But the thing that was truly shocking was their individual transformations.

Each of these people was guilty of truly horrific acts.

In fact, if he stopped to think about it, he was pretty sure even Bear had been forced to do some distasteful things during his time with the Aryans.

But no more.

John - who once killed as ordered, partly because 'it never bothered me much.' John - who now regularly put himself _between_ a person and a bullet – who swore to protect - to rescue, and who actually had the knowledge and the skill to fulfill those oaths. Every time.

Shaw, sociopath with no feelings whatsoever about who lived or who died, who now _hungered_ for the next Number to save – who _hated_ being protected because she felt it her responsibility to protect. Who begged to know where John (a man she'd once shot… multiple times) _was -_ so that she could go and help him.

Root, hired killer - whose unbalanced mind had found balance within the machine – who now looked for any and every opportunity to take down its (or her, as Miss Groves would say) enemies.

And Fusco, dirty cop - who had become so incredibly loyal, trustworthy, and dependable, he was hardly recognizable as the man who had once thought he was driving Mr. Reese to an early grave.

Four killers…

Four people who had once doled out dishonesty and death without hesitation… without remorse…

oO0Oo

And _now?_

Now - Harold spent a surprising amount of time trying to keep them from sacrificing themselves for each other… or himself… or one of the Numbers.

A dirty cop and three trained (and experienced) assassins…

And Harold could not imagine a better group of people with whom to be associated.

Sometimes he _really_ wished that Nathan could see them now.

Nathan would've liked them.

oO0Oo  
END  
oO0Oo


End file.
